HSG80 ACS Solution Software V8.6 for IBM AIM Installation and Configuration Guide

Appendix C
Exploitation of the CLONE and SNAPSHOT Functions
of the HSG80 in an AIX Environment
CLONE and SNAPSHOT enable a Compaq storage system to make copies of its internal
drives. Once these copies become available, applications, such as backup, can be
implemented on the copies, and thereby not affect production work with the original
drives. In AIX, volume groups can be copied in this manner, however AIX will not permit
the existence of two or more exact volume group copies in the same system environment.
This appendix describes the steps necessary to make the appropriate copies (CLONE or
SNAPSHOT) of AIX volume groups and to import these copies into the same environment
as the originals.
The system requirements to perform these procedures are an AIX RS/6000 system
configured with an HSG80 storage system with enough appropriately sized unassigned
drives to make the copy. For AIX, 4.3.3 is the only OS version currently capable of
permitting volume group copies to be imported through the use of an undocumented AIX
command recreatevg. Additionally, to use the SNAPSHOT function, the HSG80
controller must be loaded with “S” type firmware.
NOTE: In the case of more than one candidate volume groups on the same system targeted for
copy, this procedure should be executed for each candidate one at a time. The volume group
can remain imported and their respective logical volumes remain mounted and accessible
during a CLONE or SNAPSHOT.
To CLONE or SNAPSHOT drives within an AIX volume group, perform the following
procedure:
1. Locate all physical volumes (hdisks) within the target volume group using the
following command:
lsvg –p <Target Volume Group>